The Queen pays tribute to Gallipoli Dead at Cenotaph service

Her Majesty led a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph Saturday to mark 100 years since the First World War’s Gallipoli campaign.

Joining The Queen at the ceremony was The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of Cambridge as well as numerous political leaders and military figures.Prince Williams attendance on Saturday was contingent on The Duchess of Cambridge going into labour with their second child. The world is still eagerly waiting for the news when she has been admitted to hospital.

Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer and his New Zealand counterpart, Sir Lockwood Smith, joined diplomats from 17 nations including Turkey, France, Canada, India, Pakistan and Belgium.

Upon the last toll of Big Ben at 11 am the buglers from the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines sounded The Last Post, signalling the start of two minutes’ silence.

Following The Queen in laying a wreath were Prime Minister David Cameron, George Brandis, Australia’s Attorney General, and David Carter MP, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives.

In the eight-month Gallipoli campaign, 140,000 soldiers lost their lives, including more than 34,000 British troops, more than 8000 Australians and almost 2500 New Zealanders.

After the ceremony, Her Majesty and Prince Philip joined the congregation at Westminster Abbey for a service of commemoration.

At dawn on Saturday, Prince Charles and Prince Harry attended the Spirit of Place Ceremony and the Dawn Service, ANZAC Commemorative Site.

Prince Harry commented on people returning yearly for the ANZAC Day service: “It is this love, the memory of these lives lost, that draws us back here now, a century later, to stand among their graves and to remember their loss and all they gave for us and for each other.”

ANZAC commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The date, 25 April, was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.